Brees hits 5,000 yards, takes Saints into playoffs on a high note

8:53 AM,
Dec. 30, 2013

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees passes in the first half Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans.
?This was a great confidence builder going into the playoffs,? Brees said of his team's 42-17 win. ?We played winning football. We had a lot of big plays. We haven?t had a game with this many big plays in a while.?

Written by

NICK FONTENOT
For Gannett Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, La. -- Drew Brees' performance in the New Orleans Saints' 42-17 drumming of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday was exactly what Saints fans have come to expect from their All-Pro Quarterback in the regular-season finale in front of 73,150 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

He was efficient - going 24-of-31 for 381 yards and four touchdowns with a passer rating of 157.5. He was mistake-free, throwing zero interceptions in a game for the seventh time this season. And he was record-breaking, becoming the only player in NFL history with three consecutive 5,000-yard seasons.